Tacoma Roofing & Waterproofing Begins James Hardie Re-Roof

What an incredible year! We are in the peak of Summer and just getting ready to start another high profile commercial roofing project. Many of you know James Hardie, one of the most prominent siding manufacturers in the Nation. Our firm has been selected to perform the installation of a new single ply retrofit roofing system. This project is due to kick off the week of September 11th, 2017. We are limited on types of pictures we are allowed to take but for the sake of showcasing the assembly we will use "like systems" to provide pictures, and information. We are excited to be chosen as the commercial roofing contractor to partner with one of the Nations leading manufacturers in the construction industry.

What Is A Retrofit Re-Roof

There are many ways to waterproof a roof. In some cases a temporary solution is sought out to prolong the cost of a complete re-roof. In the commercial industry "recovers" are a common and cost effective way to install a more permanent waterproofing solution. It's common to see an additional layer of torchdown burnt onto an existing built up or torchdown roof or a single ply membrane installed over similar systems. A newer recover system that is becoming very common in the industry is an overlay over metal roofing. This requires a particular system in order to achieve the correct result.

Flute Filler

The first step is to generate a custom piece of "flute filler." Flute filler is made of EPS, a type of styrofoam if you will, that fits exactly in between the ribs of the metal roof. When you "fill" the cavity of the metal roofing panels you end up with a smooth flat substrate to install your roofing system on. Insulfoam is a prominent EPS manufacturer in Puyallup, WA, and the company we have selected to provide our product for this project. EPS provides very little "R" insulation value, but is very beneficial for creating a separation layer between substrate and roofing membranes.

EPS flute filler by Insulfoam is used fill the cavity of the metal roofing panels.

Secure Rock Cover Board

The next step of the assembly is to install a gypsum based roofing recovery board such as Secure Rock Glass Mat. Secure Rock Glass Mat is for mechanically attached single ply systems. It creates a solid substrate upon which to install the roofing membrane. In addition it qualifies the assembly for a "class A" fire rating, which basically means it slows the rate in which fire can burn through the assembly to damage other parts of the building. Class A fire ratings are required on many, but not all building structures.

Here you can see the full assembly including Secure Rock cover board peaking out in between the EPS flute filler and the single ply membrane.

Mechanically Attached TPO Roofing System

The final piece to the retrofit assembly is to install the single ply membrane. For James Hardie we are using GAF Everguard TPO single ply and a mechanically attached installation method. Mechanically attached means it is fastened to the purlins on the roof with special purlin fasteners and plates. The seams are mechanically welded with a robotic welder ensuring that the seam is consistent. In order to qualify for a 20 year "no dollar limit" warranty all seams in the field of the roofing assembly must be welded by a robotic welder, not a hand held welder. It is very common for roofing firms to try and tackle large projects with hand welders, which is a good sign that they are not true or qualified commercial roofing contractors.

In Progress Photos

Contact Us Today For More Information On Our Commercial Roofing & Waterproofing Solutions